Want to know first-hand about how Dallas County is responding to coronavirus? Take part in this public meeting Tuesday, April 7

Did you know that all Dallas County meetings are public and can be viewed online here? You can also provide your input. The next meeting of the Dallas County Commissioners Court is Tuesday, April 7, at 9 a.m. Here’s the agenda. and you may find the agenda here. Call (877)226-9790. The access code is 1794833. Find out who your county commissioner is here.

Also: if you have questions about what is considered essential versus non-essential business, you can email businesscovid19@dallascounty.org to have your essential vs. non-essential business questions answers. The Governor also released new orders on March 31st which outline what is considered an essential business which both the County and City must comply with. You may find it here.

“Please know that we are fully aware of the impact the County, State and City’s decisions are having on our residents financially, mentally, and physically,” City Council member Jennifer Staubach Gates said in an update to neighbors. “I would be lying if I said it has not impacted people close to me as well, including my staff members, who have had family members laid off or have had to shutter their businesess. No one will be immune from the repercussions of these decisions, however, the health and well-being of all people must come first.”

The mayor appointed Gates, a nurse by training, to work on the hospital response team. “I want our decisions to be data-informed and to have this publicly available for all residents. I am currently working with analysts and researchers to independently evaluate the data to ensure our decision making is sound. I also understand the importance of knowing the full extent of our hospitals capacity and the number of ventilators available in our community.”

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